Fluid emitting nozzles for use with vehicle wash apparatus

ABSTRACT

Rotating turbo nozzles for use in car wash systems have a nozzle body with a hollow interior in which a nozzle member is rotated in unison with a fluid vortex created by pressurized fluid introduced into the interior of the nozzle body through passageways forming an acute angle with the hollow interior. Systems are employed for reducing the speed of rotation of the nozzle member relative to the nozzle body so as to improve the effective range in which the nozzle body can emit cleaning fluids with an acceptable impact force.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. application Ser.No. 10/791,340 (the '340 application), filed Mar. 1, 2004, which is acontinuation-in-part application of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/849,763(the '763 application), filed May 4, 2001, now U.S. Pat. No. 6,807,973.The '340 and '763 applications are hereby incorporated by reference asthough fully set forth herein, in their entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to automatic vehicle washingsystems and, more particularly, to an overhead cleaning platform capableof independent vertical and pivotal positioning of a plurality ofnozzles attached thereto.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

“Brushless” automated vehicle washing systems are commonly utilized toquickly and efficiently clean vehicles without requiring any handscrubbing or contact between cleaning members and the exterior of avehicle. Brushless vehicle washing systems utilize jets of pressurizedcleaning fluid sprayed from a plurality of nozzles to wash away dirt andgrime from the exterior surfaces of a vehicle. In one common type ofwashing system, the nozzles are commonly arranged in a gantry. Thegantry either 1) passes over and around the vehicle or 2) is stationaryand the vehicle passes through it. In either instance, the nozzlesdirect jets of cleaning fluid over most if not the entire exteriorsurface of the vehicle.

The cleaning efficiency and effectiveness of a vehicle washing system islargely dependent upon two factors: the force at which the pressurizedcleaning fluid impinges on the vehicle surface; and the effective areaon the vehicle's surface impacted by the pressurized cleaning fluid. Inorder to effectively clean the entire surface of a vehicle, the cleaningfluid jet must impact the adjacent surface with a requisite amount offorce in order to dislodge any dirt or foreign matter resident on theadjacent surface. The amount of force per unit area imparted on theadjacent surface is dependent on several factors including the speed andangle at which the jet of cleaning fluid impacts the adjacent surface.As the distance between the nozzle and the adjacent surface increases,the speed of the cleaning fluid decreases; also the jet begins to fanincreasing the impact area on the adjacent surface, thereby spreadingthe impact force over a greater area, and reducing cleaningeffectiveness. Accordingly, those parts of a vehicle that are furthestfrom the nozzles may not be adequately cleaned.

Typically, gantry-type cleaning systems have the most difficultycleaning the front and rear of a vehicle, since the nozzles located atthe sides and top of the gantry normally direct jets of cleaning fluidparallel or at a very shallow angle to the vehicle's front and rearsurfaces. Gantry-type washing systems have been developed whereinoverhead nozzles are mounted on moveable platforms that (1) pivot toincrease the angle of incidence between the fluid jet and the front andrear surfaces of the vehicle, (2) move vertically to decrease thedistance between the nozzles and front and rear surfaces, or (3) bothpivot and move vertically. The last type of moveable platform ispreferred, wherein the platform maybe lowered to get close to front orrear surfaces and pivoted so that the fluid jets impact the surface at adesired angle.

Despite what type of vehicle washing system is utilized, vehicle ownersoften desire the option of applying additional specialty solutions totheir vehicle, such as spot free rinse solutions and clear solutions.Both of these solutions are relatively expensive when compared to theother liquids used during the wash cycle such as water. Accordingly, itis desirable to minimize waste of the specialty solutions, whilemaximizing coverage of the vehicle's surface. Current art gantry-systemsapply these solutions in a number of ways. Using one method, specialtysolutions may be applied through the same high-pressure nozzles that areutilized to apply the cleaning and rinsing solutions. This isundesirable for at least two reasons: one, the specialty solution leftin the supply lines must be purged prior to the beginning of the nextvehicle wash; and two, the use of a high pressure delivery device mightdeliver a greater than necessary volume of specialty solution to thevehicle as the gantry traverses the vehicle's length. The result is aninefficient use of the expensive specialty solutions. It is noted thathigh-pressure delivery of specialty fluid is rarely necessary sincespecialty solutions are chemical cleaners, not dynamic cleaners;accordingly, the primary goal when applying a specialty solution issimply to obtain complete vehicle coverage.

Another method utilized to apply specialty solutions has been to spraythe specialty fluid, often in the form of a foam, onto the sides of thevehicle from discharge openings spaced along vertical dispensing tubesattached to the gantry's side legs. The problem of inefficiency isminimized, since there is no need to purge the dedicated specialty fluiddelivery system after each vehicle wash. Unfortunately, these verticallymounted delivery systems have difficulty in delivering solution in amanner that completely covers the top surfaces of a vehicle as there isoften little impetus for the applied specialty solution to flow alongthe horizontal top surfaces of the vehicle, especially when the solutionis in the form of a foam.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An automatic vehicle washing system is described. In one embodiment, avertically moveable platform is suspended from a left end while beingsupported from below on the right end. One or more nozzles are coupledwith the platform for spraying jets of cleaning fluid onto the surfaceof a vehicle. Preferably, the left end of the platform is suspended by abelt, cable or chain wherein the belt, cable or chain is slidablycoupled to the frame and ultimately connected to the right end of theplatform for uniform vertical movement therewith. The right end of theplatform is supported by a lift actuator. Accordingly, when the liftactuator is actuated to lift the right end of the platform, the belt,cable or chain slides through the frame coupling and is pulled upwardsat its junction with the left end, causing the left end to rise inunison with the right end.

In a preferred embodiment, the lift actuator is pneumatic and incommunication with a compressor to provide the pressurized air necessaryto lift and lower the platform. A pressurized air tank may be providedto serve as a backup in case of a power failure or car wash systemmalfunction. The air tank may be coupled to a pneumatic switch whichautomatically opens and allows pressurized air into the lift actuator toraise the platform to its topmost position should power to thecompressor be interrupted. In other embodiments, a mechanical liftactuator that uses a lead screw, a drive screw or a drive belt may beused in place of a pneumatic lift.

Typically, the platform comprises a pivoting boom attached to areciprocating pivotal actuator. A plurality of cleaning nozzles arecoupled with the boom and by pivoting the boom; the angle of the fluidjets emanating from the nozzles can be changed. In a first variation ofthe pivoting boom, mechanical stops are utilized to set the clockwiseand counterclockwise pivoted positions of the boom, thereby varying theangle of the fluid jets off vertical. In a second variation of thepivoting boom, the actuator is utilized in conjunction with a guidedfollower arm. The follower arm permits a certain amount of pivotalmovement of the boom depending on the vertical location of the platform.In a third variation of the pivoting boom, the actuator is capable ofpivoting to a plurality of selected orientations and holding the boom atthat orientation. As necessary, sensors are utilized to determine thedesired pivotal orientation of the boom.

The nozzles may be coupled to the boom in any suitable fashion, althoughin one embodiment the nozzles are coupled to the boom by way of rotatingwand assemblies wherein the nozzles are attached to the ends of one ormore wands. In another embodiment, nozzle-tipped wands may reciprocateabout a pivot point on the boom. The nozzles may also be directlyattached to the boom. The nozzles may be 0-degree nozzles, turbonozzles, slow rotating turbo nozzles, oscillating nozzles or any othertype, or combination thereof.

In the preferred embodiment, one or more low pressure fluid conduitswith low pressure nozzles attached thereto are attached to a bottomsurface of the horizontal span of the gantry, wherein specialty fluidssuch as clear coats and spot free rinses may be sprayed on the top ofthe vehicle. Additionally, low-pressure fluid conduits may be providedon either leg of the gantry to spray the fluids onto the side of thevehicle. By providing a low-pressure conduit for each specialty fluid,the conduits need not be flushed to change fluids. Furthermore, byutilizing specialized individual conduits, specialty fluid efficiency isenhanced. The overhead and side locations of the conduits ensuresaccurate and adequate application of fluid to all surfaces of thevehicle. In one embodiment, clear coat (or drying agent) conduits arelocated proximate either the front or rear face of the gantry and spotfree rinse (or soft water) conduits are located proximate the other ofthe front or rear face of the gantry, wherein both specialty solutionscan be applied in a single pass of the gantry over the vehicle.

In the preferred embodiment a series of turbo nozzles are located on theinside surfaces of the gantry legs. The nozzles are located at verticalpositions generally corresponding to the locations of a rocker panel ona vehicle, the middle of a vehicle and the upper portion of a vehicle.Typically, the plurality of nozzles in each leg are supplied highpressure fluid from a common source and are capable of concurrentoperation. One or more solenoids or switches may be provided wherein thenozzles corresponding to the upper or lower portions of the vehicle maybe turned on or off independently of the other nozzles. The integrationof the rocker panel nozzles and the side nozzles to the same fluidsource permit both a side rinse and rocker panel blast to occur in thesame pass.

Other aspects, features and details of the present invention can be morecompletely understood by reference to the following detailed descriptionof the preferred and selected alternative embodiments, taken inconjunction with the drawings, and from the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front elevation of a gantry-type washing system with anautomobile positioned in-between the gantry.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary section taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged section taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken along line 5-5 of FIGS. 2 & 3.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along line 6-6 of FIG.5.

FIG. 7 is a section taken along line 7-7 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a section similar to FIG. 7 with components in a differentposition.

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary isometric of the pivoting boom assembly.

FIG. 10 is a fragmentary isometric illustrating the left end of thepivoting boom assembly.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary isometric illustrating the right end of thepivoting boom assembly.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary isometric of the pivoting moveable platformillustrating the downward vertical movement of the boom and theoperation of the rotating wands.

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary isometric of the pivoting moveable platformsimilar to FIG. 12 illustrating the orientation of the pivoting boomafter a clockwise rotation.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary isometric of the pivoting moveable platformsimilar to FIG. 12 illustrating the orientation of the pivoting boomafter a counterclockwise rotation.

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary isometric of a portion of a first alternativepivoting moveable platform that utilizes reciprocating wands and turbonozzles in place of the rotating wands.

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary top plan view illustration of the alternativepivoting moveable platform showing the spray pattern of the turbonozzles.

FIG. 17 is a fragmentary top plan view illustration of the firstalternative pivoting moveable platform showing the range ofreciprocating movement of the wands.

FIG. 18 is a section taken along line 18-18 of FIG. 16.

FIGS. 19 and 20 are fragmentary isometric views looking at the outsideand inside respectively of the left leg of the gantry in an alternativetilting mechanism.

FIG. 21 is top view of the bay of a vehicle wash system illustrating thewheel stops and vehicle guide members.

FIG. 22 is an enlarged isometric view of the wheel stop and the guideplatform of the outside vehicle guide member.

FIG. 23 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along lines 23-23 ofFIG. 2 illustrating a series of turbo nozzles.

FIG. 24 is an enlarged section similar to FIG. 4 illustrating avariation in the configuration of the low pressure delivery tubes.

FIGS. 25 and 26 are side views of one leg of the gantry with cut awayportions illustrating a pivoting boom centering mechanism according toone variation of the present invention.

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary isometric of a portion of a variation of thefirst alternative moveable platform that utilizes reciprocating wandattached to a twin tube boom.

FIG. 28 is a fragmentary isometric of a portion of another variation ofthe first alternative moveable platform that utilizes reciprocating wandattached to a twin tube boom.

FIGS. 29 and 30 are fragmentary isometrics of a portion of a secondalternative pivoting moveable platform that utilizes turbo nozzlesattached directly to a twin tube boom in place of the rotating orpivoting wand assemblies.

FIGS. 31 and 32 are sectional views of the second alternative pivotingmoveable platform taken along lines 31-31 and 32-32 of FIGS. 29 and 30respectively.

FIG. 33 is a flow diagram illustrating the operations performed during afour pass vehicle wash cycle.

FIG. 34 is vertical section of a turbo nozzle.

FIG. 35 is an isometric view of a rotating nozzle member of a turbonozzle.

FIG. 36 is a section of the rotating nozzle member taken along line36-36 of FIG. 35.

FIG. 37 is a section of the turbo nozzle taken along line 37-37 of FIG.34.

FIG. 38 is a section of the rotating turbo nozzle taken along line 38-38of FIG. 34.

FIG. 39 is a section of the turbo nozzle taken along line 39-39 of FIG.34.

FIG. 40 is a section similar to FIG. 39 illustrating a variation of therotating nozzle member at line 39-39.

FIG. 41 is a partial section of a prior art fast rotating turbo nozzletaken along lines 3636 of FIG. 34 having a single inlet orifice into thenozzle body.

FIG. 42 is a partial section of a slow rotating turbo nozzle taken alonglines 36-36 of FIG. 34 having four inlet orifices into the nozzle body.

FIG. 43 is a exploded isometric view of an oscillating nozzle.

FIG. 44 is a fragmentary isometric of an oscillating nozzle showingatypical spray pattern of an oscillating nozzle

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A gantry-type vehicle washing system in accordance with the presentinvention incorporates a single pneumatic cylinder to lift and lowerboth sides of an overhead cleaning platform in cooperation with a drivebelt, eliminating the need to coordinate movement between two liftingmechanisms located on either ends of the platform. The platform includesa reciprocating pivotal actuator that is coupled with a boom such thatthe boom can be pivoted. A plurality of fluid delivery nozzles arecoupled to the boom. Advantageously, the pivotal movement of the boom isoperationally independent from the vertical movement, thus permittinggreater adaptability of the washing system to vehicles of differingprofiles. Furthermore, one or more low-pressure conduits are disposedlengthwise across the top span of the gantry and vertically along thelegs of the gantry with nozzles spaced thereon to deliver specialtyfluids to the top and sides of the vehicle. Nozzles located near the endof the manifolds may be angled inwardly slightly as to insure thespecialty fluids impact the vehicle. One set of conduits for a firsttype of fluid, such as a clear coat, may be located near one face of thegantry and another set of conduits for a second type of fluid, such as aspot free rinse, may be located near the other face of the gantry.Advantageously, during a single pass of the gantry over the vehicle, thefirst type of fluid may be applied to the vehicle as the one face passesoverhead, and the second type of fluid applied to the vehicle as theother face passes overhead shortly thereafter. Finally, a switch orsolenoid is provided, wherein the fluid supply to the upper highpressure nozzles on each gantry leg can be shut off without interruptingthe fluid supply to the lower high pressure nozzles. Additionally,another switch or solenoid is provided wherein both the upper and lowernozzles on a gantry leg can be turned off during a wash cycle while thehigh pressure nozzles associated with the moveable platform can continueto operate. Accordingly, depending on the profile of the vehicle beingwashed, the upper nozzles can be turned off when their fluid jets wouldnot impact the side of the vehicle and both the upper and lower nozzlescan be turned off when the gantry is in front of or behind the vehiclesuch as when the front or rear surfaces of the vehicle are being washed.

A FIRST EMBODIMENT

A first embodiment of a gantry type vehicle washing system 100 inaccordance with the present invention is illustrated in FIGS. 1-14 and21-26.

Referring to FIG. 1, the gantry type vehicle washing system 100comprises a gantry structure 105, gantry guide rails 110, and vehicleguide members 112. Generally, the gantry structure 105 includes theplumbing and mechanicals necessary to effectively clean a vehicle 120,such as an automobile, truck, van or SUV, as will be described in detailherein. In the preferred embodiment, the gantry structure 105 movesreciprocally along the length of a vehicle on gantry guide rails 110.Rail wheels and a motor (neither shown) are contained within the gantrystructure 105 to propel it back and forth. It is to be understood thatin alternative embodiments, movement of the gantry structure relative tothe vehicle being cleaned could be accomplished in any conceivablemanner with or without the use of rails 110 that would be obvious to oneof skill in the art. For instance, automobile 120 may merely drivethrough a fixed and stationary gantry structure. In another instance,the gantry 105 could be suspended from a ceiling and slide or roll alongguides provided therein. Vehicle guide members 112 are also provided tohelp the driver of a vehicle properly position the vehicle under thegantry 105, at a proper distance from the sides of the gantry 105. Anexample of a gentry structure of the general type described is shown inU.S. Pat. No. 5,076,304 which is of common ownership with the presentinvention and which is hereby incorporated by reference.

As illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22, inside and outside vehicle guidemembers 112, 113 and 114 are provided. The left and right outside guidemembers comprise both raised tubes 112 that run generally parallel tothe gantry guide rails 110 and a guide platform 113 disposed on theinside of the raised tubes 112 that has inside vertical surfaces thatare angled inwardly towards a set of front tire stops 115. A vehicle 120enters the car wash by driving between the raised tubes 112. If thevehicle 120 approaches the front tire stops 115 too far to one side, theinside vertical surface of one of the guide platforms 113 impacts theoutside of the vehicle's front tire and guides the vehicle 120 towardsthe tire stops 115. The inside guide member 114 comprises a generallyV-shaped raised tubular structure that is centered relative to theinside surfaces of the left and right legs of the gantry with the vertexof the “V” facing the vehicle wash entrance. Accordingly, if the vehicle120 strays to the left or right as it approaches the tire stops 115, theinner guide member 114 impacts the inside of the vehicle's front tireand guides the vehicle back towards a center position. As can beappreciated, the shortest distance between the vertical surfaces of theouter guide member's guide platform 113 must be greater than the widesttrack of the type of vehicle the vehicle wash is designed to service.

In a prior art wash system with only an outside guide member, a vehiclewith a small track width can be positioned within the wash in such amanner such that the distance between the nozzles on one leg of thegantry and one side of the vehicle is much smaller than the distancebetween the nozzles on the other leg and the other side of the vehicle.The inside guide member 114 has a maximum width at the opening of the“v” shape that is smaller than the shortest distance between the insidesurfaces of the tires on a vehicle having the smallest track that thevehicle wash system is designed to service. Advantageously, a vehiclewith a small track width that is too far to the left or the right uponentering the vehicle wash will be guided by the inside guide membertowards a center position between the left and right legs of the gantry,thereby minimizing the difference in distances between the side nozzlesand the respective side surfaces of the vehicle.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the typical gantry structure 105 is in theform of an inverted-U having a left leg 205, a right leg 210, and a topspan 215. Located along the front side of the gantry structure 105 is adryer apparatus 220 designed to blow high velocity air onto a vehicle asthe gantry 105 moves along and over the vehicle after the wash cycle hasbeen completed. The high velocity air is generated by one or more fans(not shown) contained within the dryer apparatus housing and blownthrough ducting 222 and out vents 224 located on the three insidesurfaces of the gantry 105. Alternative embodiments of the washingsystem 100 may not incorporate a dryer apparatus 220 or the apparatus220 may be separate from the gantry structure 105.

Referring to FIGS. 2 & 3, a plurality of turbo nozzles 230 aredistributed on the inside surface of the left and right legs 205 & 210of the gantry structure 105 and are located in a vertical line betweenthe front and rear of each of the legs in the lower portion of the legscorresponding generally to the side surfaces of a vehicle. Theadvantages of turbo nozzles over traditional 0 degree nozzles will bediscussed in detail infra. Suffice it to say, the fluid jet from eachturbo nozzle more effectively cleans a given area of the vehicle surfacethan traditional nozzles, thereby either reducing (1) the number ofnozzles required or (2) the need to have the nozzles attached torotating wand assemblies. It is to be appreciated that both turbonozzles and traditional zero degree nozzles as described herein are highpressure nozzles wherein fluids supplied to these nozzles are underpressures typically in excess of 500 pounds per square inch (psi) toupwards of 1000 psi. The high pressure nozzles are typically utilized ina vehicle wash to supply a cleaning solution, which is typically water,to the surface of the vehicle in such a manner that the dirt and debrisis dynamically removed from the vehicle's surface.

A preferred configuration of the plurality of turbo nozzles 230, asillustrated in FIG. 23, comprises several rocker panel blaster nozzles230A, several middle nozzles 230B for cleaning the side of theautomobile and several upper nozzles 230C for cleaning the sides of thebody that are typically vertically located above the hood. The rockerpanel blasters 230A are typically high volume turbo nozzles that caneffectively dislodge the types of debris, such as mud, that canaccumulate on the rocker panels of a vehicle between washes. The middleand upper turbo nozzles 230B and 230C typically spray a lower volume ofsolution than the rocker panel blasters 230A since the middle and upperportions of a vehicle typically do have as much debris on them as therocker panels. Generally, the plurality of turbo nozzles 230 located ineach leg 105 of the gantry are connected in series to a manifold 236 andare turned on or off through a solenoid valve 237 located at the base ofthe manifold proximate a location where the manifold joins the solutionsupply line. Accordingly, the control system can control the supply ofsolution to the plurality of nozzles 230 depending on the operationbeing performed during a particular wash cycle. Additionally, a secondsolenoid valve 238 is provided along the manifold 236 between the middleand upper nozzles 230B and 230C such that the control system can turnthe flow of solution to the upper nozzles 230C off or on depending onthe location of the gantry relative to the side of a vehicle.Accordingly, the upper nozzles 230C can be turned off when the gantry istraveling over the hood or trunk of the vehicle since the jets emanatingfrom these nozzles would not impact the side of the vehicle or could beturned on when traveling over the cabin of the vehicle which is higheron the sides.

A variation of the plurality of turbo nozzles 230 is contemplatedwherein a third solenoid valve is specified to selectively control theflow of cleaning solution to the rocker panel blasters independent ofboth the middle and upper nozzles. It is to be appreciated that althoughthe series of nozzles described herein are connected to a manifold inseries, each of the sets of rocker panel, middle and upper nozzles canbe attached to the manifold or multiple manifolds in parallel as wouldbe appreciated by someone of ordinary skill in the art with the benefitof this disclosure.

Additionally, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, several low pressure presoaksolution nozzles 242 are distributed on the inner surface of the legsand the top span. These nozzles are typically configured to spray adetergent solution onto the vehicle as the gantry 105 passes over it.The key consideration in locating the presoak nozzles 242 is to insurethat the vehicle can be completely covered in presoak solution. Therelative force per area at which the presoak solution impacts thesurface of the automobile is generally not important. Low pressurenozzles, such as the presoak nozzles and specialty solution applicationnozzles (as will be described below), typically operate at pressuresbetween 50 and 150 psi. Variations of the invention may incorporate anynumber of different configurations of side nozzles to perform both thepresoak and wash cycles as would be obvious to one of skill in the artwith the benefit of this disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a view looking up at the inside of the top span 215. Twolow-pressure fluid delivery tubes 235 (or manifolds) are locatedproximate the front and rear sides of the top span 215. Each of thefluid delivery tubes 235 is in operative connection with a reservoir ofspecialty fluid and a low-pressure pump (both not shown). Severallow-pressure nozzles 237 & 239 are distributed on each of thelow-pressure fluid delivery tubes 235 to spray specialty solutions, suchas a clear coat, a soft water rinse or a spot free rinse onto a vehicle.As with the application of presoak solution, the primary concern inapplying a clear coat is obtaining complete coverage of the surface of avehicle with relatively little concern regarding the force at which thesolution impacts the surface when compared to dynamic application ofcleaning solution by the high pressure nozzles. Although still lowpressure nozzles, the spot free rinse is typically applied at slightlyhigher pressures (around 100 psi) using nozzles that have a greatervolumetric capacity than the clear coat nozzles in order to induce a“squeegee” effect to ensure complete coverage of the vehicle. The lowpressure nozzles 237 located proximate the intersection between theinner surface of the left and right legs and the inside of the top spanmay be angled inwardly towards the side surfaces of the vehicle so thatthe specialty solution is sprayed thereon. Depending on the embodiment,additional specialty solution nozzles maybe located on the inside of theright and left legs 205 & 210 to insure complete coverage of the sidesurfaces. Although two low-pressure fluid delivery tubes 235 are shown,it is understood that alternative wash systems may have more or fewerlow-pressure fluid delivery tubes 235 located on the inside of the topspan 215.

In a variation of the low pressure delivery tubes, as shown in FIG. 24,a clear coat or drying agent delivery tube 235A is located proximate thefront or rear edge of the top span 215, as well as, the correspondingedge of the legs 205 & 210, and a spot free rinse or soft water deliverytube 235B is located proximate the opposite edge of the top span 215. Inoperation, as the gantry passes over the vehicle, the clear coat ordrying agent is first applied to the surface of the vehicle and has timeto soak until the other edge of the gantry passes overhead and the spotfree rinse or soft water solution is applied to the vehicle.Advantageously, the application of both specialty fluids can beperformed in a single pass instead of two passes that would typically berequired using prior art vehicle wash systems.

Again referring to FIG. 4, as well as, FIGS. 5 & 9, a moveable platform240 is located at the proximate front-to-rear center of the inside orbottom of the top span 215 and is substantially coextensive with the topspan 215. The moveable platform 240 comprises: (1) a pivoting boom 245;(2) two rotating wand assemblies 250 attached to the pivoting boom 245;(3) a reciprocating rotary pivotal actuator 260 pivotally attached tothe pivoting boom 245; and (4) a mounting system to secure the moveableplatform 240 to the gantry 105.

The rotating wand assemblies 250 each typically comprise three hollowwands 252 radiating from a rotating manifold 254. Each wand 252 isadapted to carry pressurized cleaning fluid therein and one or twozero-degree nozzles 256 are generally attached to its distal ends. Inother variations, an oscillating nozzle or a turbo nozzle may bespecified. The wand assemblies 250 are normally orientated on thepivoting boom 245 parallel to the ground such that the nozzles 256 spraya substantially vertical fluid jet. The rotating manifold 254 is bothattached to and in fluid communication with a bearing seal element 258that permits both rotational motion and the transfer of high pressurecleaning fluid to the manifold 254. Another end of the bearing sealelement 258 is coupled with the shaft of a unidirectional motor 253either directly or through a gear set 255. The unidirectional motor 253is configured to facilitate the rotation of the wand assembly 250 at apredetermined speed. Additionally, a high-pressure fluid conduit 265 fortransporting cleaning fluids is coupled with the bearing seal member258. Various alternative embodiments of the cleaning fluid deliverysystems are contemplated as would be obvious to one of ordinary skillwith the benefit of this disclosure. One embodiment is described indetail later that utilizes reciprocating wands with turbo nozzlesattached to their ends. Other variations, for example, might includestationary turbo nozzles disposed along the length of the pivoting boom245, wherein the boom 245 may be adapted to serve as a cleaning fluiddelivery conduit.

Referring to FIGS. 5 and 9, the moveable platform 240 is verticallysupported in the gantry structure 105 at its right end by a pneumaticlift 270 in operative connection with an actuator bracket 275. Thereciprocating pivotal actuator 260 is fixedly attached to the actuatorbracket 275, and the right end of the pivoting boom 245 is attached tothe shaft of the reciprocating pivotal actuator 260. A clamp member 280extends perpendicularly from the actuator bracket 275 and a first end ofa linear drive belt 285 is anchored thereto. From the first end, thedrive belt 285 extends: downwardly and through a first idler pulley 290near the base of the right leg 210; upwardly and through a second idlerpulley 292 located at the top of the right leg 210; horizontally alongthe top span 215 and through a third idler pulley 294; and downwardlyuntil terminating at a second end that is anchored to an invertedT-shaped clamp member 295 located at the left end of the moveableplatform 240. The left end of the pivoting boom 245 is pivotallyattached to the T-shaped clamp 295. Accordingly, the left end of themoveable platform 240 is suspended from the drive belt 285. In thepreferred embodiment, the drive belt 285 is comprised of a Kevlarreinforced polymeric material, although in alternative embodiments, thebelt may be comprised of any number of materials having the necessarystrength characteristic to support the moveable platform 240. The beltmay be replaced altogether with a suitable cable or chain. Additionally,any number of configurations are possible for routing the belt 285 fromone side of the moveable platform 240 to the other.

Any weight imbalances in the rotating wand assemblies 250 may causelateral forces to be induced in the moveable platform 240. To preventunwanted lateral movement of the moveable platform 240 caused by thelateral forces, the moveable platform 240 is constrained by right andleft slide members 305 that are each disposed between and slidablyattached to two vertical guide rails 310 that extend a substantialportion of the length of each gantry leg (best seen in FIGS. 4, 10 &11). The pivoting boom 245 passes through a vertically elongated bore312 in each slide member 305. The elongated bores 312 have widthsslightly greater than the diameter of the pivoting boom 245, therebyconstraining the moveable platform 240 from any substantial lateralmovement. In the preferred embodiment, each slide member 305 comprisestwo additional bores 314 & 316. Electrical cabling (not shown) from theunidirectional motors is typically routed through middle bore 316 on theright slide member 305, and the cleaning fluid conduit is routed throughthe upper bore 314 on both slide members 305. The slide members 305 arefabricated from a polymeric material such as Derlin.®. or nylon, but anysuitable material may be utilized. Any number of alternative structuresmay be utilized to constrain the lateral movement of the moveableplatform with or without the use of slide members and/or guide rails aswould be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art.

To lower the moveable platform 240 as shown in FIG. 12, the pneumaticlift 270 is retracted, lowering the right side of the moveable platform240. Simultaneously, the drive belt 285 travels through the idlerpulleys 290-294 as indicated, increasing the length of the portion ofthe drive belt located between the inverted T-shaped clamp 295 and thethird idler pulley 294, thereby lowering the left side of the moveableplatform 240 a corresponding amount to that of the right side. To raisethe moveable platform 240, the pneumatic lift 270 is extended, pushingthe right end of the moveable platform 240 upwardly and pulling thedrive belt 285 as to shorten the length of the portion between theinverted T-clamp 295 and the third idler pulley 294 to pull the left endof the moveable platform 240 upwardly.

Depending on the design and construction of the vertical lift system, amalfunction within the vehicle wash system, such as a compressorfailure, a power failure, or an air leak, may cause the pneumatic lift270 and the moveable platform 240 to lower, possibly on to the surfaceof a vehicle that is being washed. Accordingly, the preferred embodimentincorporates one or more fail-safe features that in the event of amalfunction, cause the moveable platform 240 to rise to the top of thegantry 105 and lock in its retracted position until normal operation canbe restored. A pressurized air tank 320 (FIG. 5) is pneumaticallycoupled by way of one or more air hoses (not shown) with the pneumaticlift 270 providing a reservoir of compressed air to facilitate emergencyoperation of the lift 270 in the event of a malfunction. In oneembodiment, a solenoid coupled with a pneumatic switch (neither shown)may be utilized to trigger the raising of the moveable platform 240. Theswitch may be triggered by a power failure or by a drop in pressure inthe line supplying the actuator to below 65 psi (pounds per squareinch). In operation, after a malfunction, the solenoid trips thenormally closed pneumatic switch permitting pressurized air to travelfrom the air tank 320 to the pneumatic lift 270, causing the lift 270 torise. As long as sufficient pressurized air remains in the tank 320, themoveable platform 240 will be retained in the retracted position. It isunderstood, that a wide variety of switch mechanisms as would be obviousto one of ordinary skill may be utilized to cause the moveable platform240 to rise in the event of a power failure and the one described hereinis merely illustrative.

A latch or locking mechanism 325 may also be utilized in certainembodiments to retain the moveable platform 240 in the retractedposition after a power failure. One type of locking mechanism 325 isillustrated in FIGS. 6-8. A latch plate 330 extends vertically from theactuator bracket 275. At the top of the latch plate 330, a horizontaltongue 332 extends leftwardly. The top and bottom surfaces 336 & 334 ofthe tongue 332 are beveled. When the moveable platform 240 is fullyretracted, the tongue 332 is located adjacent to a solenoid actuator340. Preferably, the solenoid actuator 340 is pneumatic, whereincompressed air is routed into the solenoid when power to it isinterrupted, causing a shaft 342 to extend rightwardly from the solenoidbody. Alternatively, the solenoid may be spring loaded, wherein thespring biases the shaft 342 to the right. Attached to the end of thesolenoid shaft 342 is a latch member 344 having a rightwardly extendingtongue 346 corresponding to the leftwardly extending tongue 332. Therightwardly extending tongue 332 comprises beveled upper and bottomsurfaces 348 & 349.

During a vehicle wash malfunction, the electrical current to thesolenoid 340 is interrupted and compressed air encourages the solenoidshaft 342 into its extended position. If the moveable platform 240 isalready in its retracted position, the upper surface 348 of therightward extending tongue 346 will slide below and support the bottomsurface 334 of the latch plate's leftwardly extending tongue 332,effectively locking the moveable platform 240 in its retracted position.If the moveable platform 240 is not retracted at the time of failure,the top beveled edge 336 of the leftwardly extending tongue 332 meetsthe rightwardly extending tongue 346 as the moveable platform 240 israised, causing the solenoid's biased shaft 342 and the rightwardlyextending tongue 346 to move leftwardly. Once the rightwardly extendingtongue 346 is pushed back enough, the leftwardly extending tongue 332passes it as the moveable platform 240 is returned to its retractedposition, and the top surface 348 of the rightwardly extending tongue346 is encouraged under the bottom surface 334 of the leftwardlyextending tongue 332, thereby locking the moveable platform 240 in theretracted position.

Referring primarily to FIGS. 9-11, the reciprocating pivotal actuator260 and other associated structure relating to the pivoting or rotatingof the pivoting boom 245 will now be described. As was described aboveit is useful to pivot the boom 245 to change the direction of the fluidjets emanating from the nozzles 256 at the distal end of the wands 252in order to more effectively clean the various surfaces of a vehicle.The shaft of the reciprocating pivotal actuator 260 is coupled with thepivoting boom 245 on the right end of the moveable platform 240. Thepivoting boom 245 passes through the elongated bores 312 of the rightand left slide members 305, both of which permit the boom 245 to pivotfreely. On the left end of the moveable platform 240, the invertedT-clamp 295 is pivotally attached to the boom 240 by way of a bearing(not shown), thus the inverted T-clamp 295 may maintain its positioning,ensuring proper alignment between the clamp 295, the drive belt 285 andthe third idler pulley 294. Attached to the distal ends of the invertedT-clamp's arms are two proximity sensors 350. Adjacent and just to theright of the sensor faces are two or more flat sensor plates 355 thatradiate from the pivoting boom 245 at predetermined locations. Invariations of the vehicle wash system, the sensors and associated sensorplates may be located in any number of suitable locations, such as theright side of the pivoting boom proximate the pivoting actuator.Depending on rotational orientation of the pivoting boom 245 relative tothe inverted T-clamp 295, the plates 355 may cover the face of one ofthe sensors 350 causing the covered sensor 350 to transmit a signal tothe control system (not shown). Based on the received signal, thecontrol system can determine the pivotal position of the boom 245 (i.e.whether the boom is pivoted clockwise or counterclockwise) and activateor deactivate the reciprocating pivotal actuator 260 accordingly. It isto be appreciated that any number of sensor configurations can beutilized by a mechanical or computerized control system to determine therelative pivotal orientation of the boom 245. Additionally, in someembodiments the need to use sensors 350 to determine the position of theboom may be obviated by the use of advanced reciprocating actuators thatare capable of accurately pivoting the boom 245 a specified amount basedonly on the appropriate input from the control system.

Referring to FIG. 11 illustrating the right end of the moveable platform240, the base of a short c-shaped channel 360 is adjustably mountedagainst the vertical surface of the actuator bracket 275 at a lengthwiselocation between the right slide member 305 and the reciprocatingpivotal actuator 260. The legs of the c-shaped channel 360 extend overand under the corresponding section of the pivoting boom 245. A radialarm 365 is attached to the pivoting boom 245 at the same proximatelocation along the boom 245 that the legs of the c-channel 360 extendover the boom 245. When the moveable platform 240 is in its retractedposition with the nozzles 256 aimed vertically downwardly, the radialarm 365 is generally centered between the planes formed by the insidesurfaces of the upper and lower legs. Together, the radial arm 365 andthe c-channel 360 serve to control the clockwise and counterclockwisepositions of the pivoting boom 245. For instance, if the pivotalactuator is engaged to rotate the boom 245 clockwise, movement of theboom is stopped when the radial arm impacts the lower arm of c-channel360. Likewise, if the pivotal actuator is engaged to rotate the boom 245counterclockwise, movement of the boom is stopped when the radial armimpacts the upper arm of c-channel 360. The amount of pivotal movementin either direction may be adjusted by moving the c-channel inwardly oroutwardly relative to its mounting location on the actuator bracket.Accordingly, if the c-channel is moved away from the mounting bracket,the radial arm will impact the ends of the c-channel arms soonerlessoning the pivotal movement. Conversely, by mounting the c-channel asclose as possible to the bracket, the radial arm must pivot furtherbefore impacting the ends of the c-channel. Ideally, the c-channel andradial arm are adjustable to permit between 60 and 90 degrees of pivotalmovement in both the clockwise and counterclockwise directions. Stops tolimit pivotal motion, such as the c-channel and radial arm assembly, maynot be utilized in all embodiments of the invention. For instance, anadvanced reciprocating pivotal actuator can be utilized that is capableof precisely controlling the amount pivotal movement of the boomobviating the need for external mechanical stops.

In general, the pivotal movement of the pivoting boom 245 is independentof the vertical position of the moveable platform 240 thus permittingthe car wash system 100 to adjust to vehicles of a number of differentprofiles. This is different from many prior art systems wherein the tiltof a moveable platform to which overhead nozzles are attached dependeddirectly on the vertical position of the movable platform. That havingbeen said, certain embodiments may limit the pivotal movement of themoveable platform 240 until it is lowered vertically a minimum distanceto prevent the distal ends of the rotating wands 252 from impacting thetop span 215 of the gantry structure 105.

In a variation of the pivoting mechanism, the reciprocating pivotingactuator 260 is actuatable to pivot the pivoting boom 245 either to theright or the left from the centered position; however, it is notconfigured to return the boom 245 to the centered position once it hasbeen pivoted, nor is it configured to hold the boom in the centeredposition. To accomplish these tasks a centering mechanism, asillustrated in FIGS. 25 and 26, is provided wherein the pivoting boom245 is returned to its centered position when the moveable platform 240is retracted. The centering mechanism comprises a pair of spacedparallel tracks 244 that are positioned on either side of the pivotingboom 245. At a common vertical location, the two tracks 244 diverge fromeach other at an acute angle, such that the two tracks when viewedtogether have an inverted Y-shape. The centering mechanism alsocomprises a downwardly extending arm 246 that is fixedly attached to thepivoting boom 245 at a distal end and has a wheel 248 rotatably attachedto its proximal end. The wheel 248 is normally positioned between thespaced and parallel tracks 244 when the pivoting boom 245 is in itsretracted position as shown in FIG. 29. It can be appreciated that inthis position the boom 245 cannot be pivoted but it can be freely movedup or down as part of the moveable platform 240 to adjust the distancebetween the nozzles 256 or 405 attached therewith and the top of avehicle. Once the wheel 248 is lowered below the location, where thetracks 244 diverge the reciprocating pivoting actuator 260 can beactivated to pivot the boom 245. Referring to FIG. 26, as the boom 245is retracted from the lowered and pivoted position, the wheel 248impacts one of the divergent tracks 244 and guides the pivoting boom 245back into its centered position.

The pivoting operation of the moveable platform 240 will now be brieflydescribed.

First, to clean the front end of a vehicle as shown in FIG. 13, thegantry 105 is moved into a position forwardly of the front end of thevehicle. Next, the moveable platform 240 is lowered vertically at leastthe minimum amount. At this point, a pneumatic switch is opened by thecontrol system, permitting compressed air to enter the proper chamber ofthe reciprocating pivotal actuator 260, causing the pivoting boom 245 torotate clockwise. The pivoting boom 245 will continue to pivot untilstopped when the radial arm 365 impacts the lower arm of the c-channel360. It is noted that the moveable platform 240 may be moving verticallywhile the boom 245 is pivoting. When the front end cleaning cycle hasbeen completed, the moveable platform 245 is raised and the pivotingboom 245 is pivoted counterclockwise back into its retracted position.To clean the rear surfaces of the vehicle, the gantry 105 is movedbehind the vehicle and the process is repeated except that the boom 245is pivoted counterclockwise until the radial arm 365 impacts the upperc-channel arm.

Given the manner in which the moveable platform 240 may be raised andlowered vertically combined with the independent pivotal movement of theboom 245, it is appreciated that depending on the control systemutilized by the washing system 100, the operation of the moveableplatform 240 may be customized to any number of vehicles to maximizecleaning effectiveness. First, The vertical position of the nozzles maybe adjusted for the height of the vehicle being washed, and to accountfor the different heights between a hood/truck and the roof of thecabin. Accordingly, the nozzles can be maintained at the optimumdistance from the upper surface of the car to maximize cleaningeffectiveness. Second, the boom 245 can be pivoted to an angle of 60-90degrees so the nozzles can directly face the front and rear ends of thevehicle and more effectively clean the ends when compared to prior artwash systems that spray the front and rear surfaces at shallow acuteangles. While jets of fluid are sprayed onto the front or rear ends atangles that are nearly perpendicular, the platform may be moved up anddown as appropriate to ensure the entire front surface is washed.Accordingly the front and rear ends of a high profile vehicle such as anSUV may be cleaned as effectively as a lower profile vehicle such as asedan. As the gantry 105 moves rearwardly, jets of fluid are sprayed onthe hood. As the gantry 105 moves over the windshield, the pivoting boom245 may be pivoted to an angle whereby the nozzles directly face thewindshield. As jets of fluid are sprayed onto the windshield atapproximately a right angle, the gantry moves towards the top-rear ofthe windshield and the platform 240 rises as necessary to maintain apredetermined spacing between the nozzles and the windshield surface. Asthe gantry 105 moves over the roof of the car, the pivoting boom 245pivots back to a position where the wands are horizontally disposed.

As has been discussed above, the exemplary embodiments described hereinare not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Many alternativeembodiment gantry-type vehicle wash systems have been contemplated thatretain one or more of the innovative aspects of the invention. A firstalternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 15-18, wherein therotating wand assemblies are replaced with reciprocating wands thatutilize turbo nozzles. A second alternative embodiment is illustrated inFIGS. 29-32, wherein turbo or oscillating type nozzles are affixeddirectly to a pair of parallel and spaced boom tubes. A thirdalternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20, wherein theamount (or degree) of tilt of the pivoting boom is controlled based onthe vertical position of the pivoting boom.

A FIRST ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 17, the reciprocating wand assembly 400 of afirst alternative embodiment is shown mounted on the pivoting boom 245which has been adapted to serve as a high pressure fluid deliverymanifold as well. The pivoting boom 245 is connected to a supply (notshown) of pressurized liquid to be sprayed onto the vehicle and supportsthree equally spaced reciprocating wands 410 through vertical hollowpivot shafts 420 associated with each wand 410. The shafts 420 aremounted on appropriate bearings 425 that allow the wands to reciprocatein a horizontal plane through their operative connection with adrive/link system 415. Each hollow pivot shaft is in fluid communicationin a conventional manner with the interior of the pivoting boom 245 sothat liquid within the manifold boom can pass from the manifold into theinterior of the hollow pivot shaft. Each pivot shaft is, in turn, influid communication with the interior of each wand 410, which is also ofhollow tubular configuration, so that liquid from the manifold can bepassed into the wands in equal quantities. Each wand has a turbo nozzle405 mounted at each end thereof with the nozzles being directeddownwardly to direct a cyclical conical spray of fluid in a downwarddirection and in a manner to be described in more detail hereafter.

Each pivot shaft 420 has a crank link 430 fixed thereto adjacent to itsuppermost end with the crank link being keyed to the shaft so thatpivotal movement of the crank link in a horizontal plane about thevertical axis of the pivot shaft causes the pivot shaft 420 and theconnected wand 410 to reciprocate in a corresponding manner. Thedrive/link system 415 includes a drive member 435 and a plurality ofcrank and link members that interconnect the drive member with thereciprocating wands. In the first alternative embodiment, the drivemember is an electric motor having an output shaft (not seen) operablyconnected through a gear box 440 to a primary crank arm 445 that isrotated in a horizontal plane about a vertical output shaft 450 of thegear box. The distal or free end 455 of the primary crank arm ispivotally connected to a drive link 460 whose opposite end is pivotallyconnected to a bifurcated secondary crank arm 465 that is keyed to thevertical pivot shaft 420 of the first reciprocating wand 410, i.e. thewand that is closest to the motor 435.

As will be appreciated, when the drive motor 435 is driven in eitherdirection, the primary crank arm 445 rotates and causes the drive link460 to pivot in a horizontal plane while being slid reciprocally withinthe horizontal plane along a path parallel to the length of the pivotingboom 245. This sliding and reciprocating movement of the drive linkcauses the secondary bifurcated crank arm 465 to pivot back and forth inthe same horizontal plane about the vertical shaft 420 of the firstreciprocating wand thereby causing that vertical shaft, the connectedwand and the associated crank link 430 to reciprocate in a correspondingmanner. The free end 470 of the first crank link is pivotally connectedto a first connecting link 475 whose opposite end is pivotally connectedto the free end of the crank link 430 of the second wand 410 (i.e. thewand closest to the first wand). A second connecting link 480longitudinally aligned with the first connecting link 475 is pivotallyconnected to the free end of the second crank link at the same locationas the first connecting link and has its opposite end pivotallyconnected to the crank link 430 associated with the third wand 410 orthe wand that is furthest removed from the drive motor 435.

It is important to appreciate that the crank links 430 and thebifurcated secondary crank arm 465 are relatively short so that theconnecting links 475 and 480, which interconnect adjacent crank links,are positioned parallel to and are closely adjacent to the pivoting boom245.

In the preferred embodiment, the connecting links and crank link are nomore than ¾ of an inch from the manifold and preferably about ½ inch.This provides for a very compact system for reciprocating the wands 410as will be described hereafter. The compactness is important inasmuch asthe manifold, as described previously, may be mounted to pivot about itslongitudinal axis or an axis parallel thereto so that the spatialorientation of the wands 410 can be changed between horizontal andvertical or any angle therebetween, and the close proximity of the linksand crank arms to the manifold allows this to be accomplished without anunwieldy mechanism.

In operation, it will be appreciated that as the drive motor 435 isoperated, its output shaft causes the primary crank 445 to rotatethereby causing the connected drive link 460 to reciprocate effectingreciprocation of the secondary bifurcated crank arm 465 in a horizontalplane which, in turn, causes the connected pivot shaft 420 of the firstwand 410 to pivot about its longitudinal axis a corresponding amount.That same pivotal movement is transferred to the first crank link 430with the pivotal movement of the first crank link being transferred fromthe first crank link to the second crank link through the firstconnection link 475 and from the second crank link 430 to the thirdcrank link 430 through the second connection link 480. Eachreciprocating wand is thereby enabled to pivot in unison in a horizontalplane as illustrated best in FIG. 17. In FIG. 17, it can be seen fromthe full line and dashed line positions of the reciprocating wands thatthe associated nozzles are pivoted back and forth along an arc “A” apredetermined degree which, when associated with the spray pattern ofthe nozzles on the reciprocating wands as described later, providecomplete coverage of the surface of a vehicle being washed with theapparatus.

As best appreciated by reference to FIGS. 16 and 18, each turbo nozzle405 emits a beam or stream of liquid in a straight line that is directedat an acute angle from a central axis of the nozzles. The straight beamor stream of liquid emitted from the nozzle is caused to move, by thenozzle's internal construction, in a circulating pattern which creates aconical wall or pattern of liquid 485 which, of course, is circular intransverse cross section as illustrated in FIG. 16. Fast rotating turbonozzles (approximately 1600 to 2000 revolutions per minute (rps)) arecommercially available in several different configurations as describedin greater detail below.

Slow rotating turbo nozzles, which are not commercially available, canalso be specified wherein the speed of rotation is generally 600-1400rpm. With either the fast or slow rotating turbo variant, the singlestream fluid jets emanating from the nozzles appear to form a circularimpact ring on the surface of the vehicle as illustrated in FIGS. 16 and18. The diameter of the impact rings is dependent on the angle at whichthe fluid jet leaves the nozzle as well as the distance of the nozzlefrom the surface of the vehicle. Although the impact rings shown indotted lines in FIG. 16 are tangential to each other, it is appreciatedthat depending on the cleaning application, the nozzles specified, andthe distance from the cleaning surface, the impact rings may overlap orthey may not touch at all. A variant of the turbo nozzle, theoscillating nozzle may also be utilized on the reciprocating wands. Asthe name suggests oscillating nozzles tend to oscillate back and forthin a generally linear path.

A reciprocating wand assembly of the type described above is also shownin U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/698,845 which is of commonownership with the present invention and which is hereby incorporated byreference.

In one variation on the first alternative embodiment, the reciprocatingwand assembly 400 may be connected with a boom comprising twin boomtubes 412 as illustrated in FIG. 27. The cleaning solution is deliveredto each of the wands 410 from one of the twin boom tubes 412 by a hose414, as shown. The operation of the wand assembly 400 is substantiallythe same as described above. Another twin boom variation is illustratedin FIG. 28, wherein each of the wands 410 is pivotally connected to atransfer arm 416 that transfers the pivotal motion applied to the firstwand by the motor 435 to the other two wands.

A SECOND ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT

FIGS. 29-32 illustrate a second alternative embodiment, whereinoscillating or turbo nozzles 705 are attached directly to parallel andspaced boom tubes 710. The cleaning action of the turbo and/oroscillating nozzles 705 ensures complete coverage of the underlyingvehicle surface without the utilization of rotating or pivoting wandassemblies. As shown, the boom tubes 710 also double as fluid deliveryconduits to carry the high pressure cleaning fluid to the nozzles 705.

Preferably, cleaning solution can be routed to either one of the tubes710 independently of the other, whereby one bank of nozzles attached toone tube can be turned off while the bank of nozzles are turned on. Thenozzles may be orientated in a variety of angles relative to the boomtubes 710 depending on the spray pattern of the chosen nozzles.Typically, the boom tubes 710 will be spaced apart from each other adistance of around 18 inches, which has found to be effective in helpingensure complete coverage of the front and rear of a vehicle when themoveable platform is in its lowered position and the boom is tilted. Asillustrated, the twin boom tubes 710 are attached to end brackets 715which are connected to shafts 720 on either end for rotatably attachingthe assembly to the gantry for pivotal movement relative thereto. It isappreciated that numerous other pivot boom configurations can bespecified in addition to the embodiments and variations described hereinas would be obvious to one of ordinary skill with the benefit of thisdisclosure.

A THIRD ALTERNATIVE EMBODIMENT

A third alternative embodiment is illustrated in FIGS. 19 and 20,wherein the tilt of the pivoting boom 245 is directly dependent on thevertical position of the moveable platform 240. Although this systemdoes not offer the same degree of customizability for vehicles ofdiffering profiles, it is less complicated than the preferred embodimentand potentially much less expensive to produce as well. In the thirdalternative embodiment, a follower arm 505 is keyed to the pivoting boom245. The follower arm 505 is typically an elongated member that isvertically orientated along its length. The follower arm 505 is attachedat an upper end to the pivoting boom 245. The follower arm 505 ridesbetween two opposing guides surfaces 515 formed by framework 510 withinthe left leg 205 of the gantry structure 105. Near the top of the leftleg 205 the wand assemblies 250 are preferably orientated parallel tothe ground. Accordingly, the opposing guide surfaces 515 are verticallydisposed and spaced from each other a distance only slightly greaterthan the width of the follower arm 505. At a predetermined verticallocation below the top of the left leg 205, the two opposing surfaces515 diverge from each other at an acute angle, wherein the opposingguide surfaces 515 viewed together have an inverted Y-shape.

In operation, a biasing force is applied to the pivoting boom 245 toencourage it to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise depending on thelocation of the gantry 105 relative to the front or rear of a vehicle.It is appreciated that any suitable biasing means may be utilized,including a less sophisticated pneumatic actuator that merely applies arotational bias to the pivoting boom 245 but is not able to pivot to andhold the pivoting boom 245 at discrete angular orientations. Next, themoveable platform 240 is lowered as described supra. As the follower arm505 enters the divergent portion of the guide surfaces 515, the pivotingboom 245 rotates in the biased direction until the lower portion of thearm 505 is in contact with the appropriate guide surface 515. As thepivoting boom 245 is lowered further, it pivots further as controlled bythe distance between the center axis of the pivoting boom 245 and theappropriate guide surface 515 relative to the length of the follower arm505. A maximum possible pivoting movement in either direction of 90degrees is achieved when the distance between the pivoting boom's axisand the appropriate guide surface 515 is equal to the distance betweenthe center axis and the distal end of the follower arm 505. Based on theoperation of this tilting system, it can be appreciated that sensors anda means for measuring and interpreting the sensors concerning thepivotal position of the pivoting boom 245 are not required.

As discussed supra, the embodiments and alternative embodimentsdescribed herein are merely illustrative. A number of other alternativeembodiments keeping within the scope of the invention as expressed inthe appended claims have been contemplated. For instance, either or boththe pneumatic reciprocating rotary actuator and the pneumatic lift couldbe replaced with mechanical versions. Furthermore, the placement of thevarious elements of the washing system relative to each other could bevaried. For example, rather than having both the pneumatic lift and thereciprocating pivotal actuator located in the right leg, either could belocated in the left leg. Additionally, many different types of nozzlesmay be utilized in the moveable platform based on considerations ofcleaning effectiveness and cost.

A Four Pass Wash

Given the construction of the various embodiments of the vehicle washsystem combined with a suitable control system, such as the onedescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/365,519 filed on Aug.2, 1999 which is commonly owned by the assignee of this application andis hereby incorporated by reference, a vehicle can be economically andeffectively cleaned in four passes including the application of both aclear coat and a spot free rinse solution. This compares to six passesthat are typically required during a wash cycle to similarly clean avehicle using prior art vehicle wash systems. FIG. 33 is a flow chartillustrating the operations performed in each pass of a four pass washcycle according to the present invention.

First, the vehicle is driven into the car wash bay as indicated by box605. During a first pass 610, the gantry moves along and over thevehicle, typically from the front of the vehicle to the back, sprayingthe vehicle with a presoak solution from the presoak nozzles 242. Alsoduring the first pass, the length of the vehicle is determined andrelative height of the vehicle is profiled for reasons that will becomeapparent below.

During a second pass 615, the gantry travels back beyond the front ofthe vehicle. During the time it takes for the gantry to travel from theback to front, the presoak solution has time to penetrate and loosen anydirt on the vehicle's surface.

During the third pass 620 water under high pressure is sprayed from theboth the side and top high pressure nozzles 230 and 256. As describedabove, the side nozzles 230 can comprise a lower set of rocker panelnozzles 230A, a set of middle turbo nozzles 230B and a set of upperturbo nozzles 230C. As the gantry passes over the hood of a typicalvehicle, both the middle set of nozzles 230B and the rocker panelblasters 230A are activated, and depending on the height of the hood andtrunk, the upper set of nozzles 230C may not be activated. If thevehicle has a low hood/trunk height, the solenoid valve connected to theupper set of nozzles will close to prevent cleaning solution fromneedlessly being sprayed over the top of the hood and trunk. On theother hand, if the hood and/or trunk has a high profile then the uppernozzles 230C will be activated as the clearance eye sensor 232 locatedon one of the gantry legs senses the increased height of the vehicle. Asthe gantry passes over the middle portion of the vehicle, the rockerpanel, middle and upper nozzles are all typically activated. Next, asthe gantry passes over the back of the vehicle the upper set of nozzles230C may be deactivated if the vehicle has a low trunk as typicallywould be the case with a sedan.

Before the Gantry passes over the vehicle during the third pass, themoveable platform 240 is lowered until it is in front of the front ofthe vehicle and the pivoting boom 245 is rotated until the upper nozzles256 face the front of the vehicle. The nozzles 256 are activated and thefront of the vehicle is impacted by jets of fluid as the platform 240 israised. Once the platform 240 has been raised above the height of thefront end, the pivoting boom 245 is rotated back to its unpivotedcentered position with the nozzles 256 facing downwardly. Next, thegantry during the third pass passes over the hood of the vehicle withthe nozzles 256 spraying jets of water downwardly. Depending on theheight of the hood the movable platform 240 may be held in a positionbelow the retracted position such that the distance between the hood andthe nozzles 256 is reduced. As the gantry passes over the windshield,the moveable platform 240 rises to clear the roof and/or maintain apreferred distance between the nozzles 256 and the top surface of thevehicle. Depending on the height of the rear portion of the vehicle, theplatform 240 may again be lowered to maintain a preferred distancebetween the surface of the rear deck and the nozzles 256. Finally, thegantry moves behind the vehicle and the moveable platform 240 is lowereduntil it is located behind the back of the vehicle. Simultaneously, thepivoting boom 245 is rotated so that the nozzles 256 face the front ofthe vehicle. Once the backside of the vehicle has been washed, the boom245 rotates back to its neutral position and the moveable platform 240ascends to its retracted position.

During the forth pass 625, the gantry is moved from the back of thevehicle towards its initial position in front of the vehicle. Both aclear coat and a spot free rinse are applied in the manner describedpreviously. Fifth and sixth optional passes may be included wherein adryer apparatus 220 mounted on the gantry dries the vehicle.Alternatively, stationary blowers may dry the vehicle as it passes outof the wash bay. It is also appreciated that a three cycle wash may alsobe run in which the forth pass is not utilized.

It is appreciated that any number of sensor arrays maybe utilized todetermine the profile of the vehicle being washed. The preferredembodiment, however, utilizes a clearance eye sensor 232 and front andrear locator sensors 233 and 234, as illustrated in FIG. 2. Theclearance sensor eye 232 is located on one of the legs of the gantry ina vertical position below the lowest overhead deployed position of themoveable platform 240. Typically, the clearance sensor 232 will bepositioned approximately 40 to 46 inches off the floor of the vehiclewash bay. If the “beam” of the sensor 232 is broken, it indicates aportion of a vehicle with a height above the height of the clearancesensor, and the upper set of side nozzles 230C are typically activatedby the control system. If the beam is intact, a lower portion of thevehicle is indicated, causing the control system to lower the moveableplatform 240 and to deactivate the upper set of side nozzles 230C.

The front and rear sensors 233 and 234 indicate whether the gantry is infront of or behind the vehicle. Typically, these sensors are locatedcloser to the floor on one of the gantry legs, the front sensor 233proximate the front face of the gantry, and the rear sensor 234proximate the rear face of the gantry. An unobstructed sensor “beam”indicates that the gantry is either in front of or behind the vehicle.Typically, when both beams become unobstructed the control systemrecognizes the gantry is either in front of or behind the vehicle and itthen travels an additional predetermined distance in its direction oftravel to ensure it is behind or in front of the vehicle enough to allowoperation of the moveable platform 240 and pivot boom 245 to clean therespective front or rear end of the vehicle.

Turbo and Oscillating Nozzles

As described above various types of high pressure nozzles are utilizedin the various embodiments of the present invention, including zerodegree nozzles, fast rotating turbo nozzles, slow rotating turbonozzles, and oscillating nozzles. Zero degree nozzles are well known inthe art and are commercially available from a variety of vendors.Typically, zero degree nozzles shoot a single jet of fluid from a fixedorifice, such that the jet impacts a relatively small area on thesurface of a vehicle when used in conjunction with a vehicle washsystem. Accordingly, they are typically utilized with rotating wandsthat move the nozzles over the surface of the vehicle to obtain completecoverage of the associated surface, such as the rotating wand assembliesdescribed concerning the first embodiment. Given the high integrity ofthe fluid jets that emanate from Zero degree nozzles, they typicallyhave a maximum effective range of up to 80 inches.

As illustrated in FIG. 34, both the fast and slow rotating turbo nozzlescomprise a rotating nozzle member 805 having an orifice 810 that rotateswithin a body 815 of the nozzle causing a fluid jet emanating therefromto assume a spiral shape as illustrated in FIG. 16. This causes a singleturbo nozzle to have a circular impact area, which makes obtainingcomplete coverage of the vehicle surfaces simpler. For instance, incertain circumstances, the use of fast rotating turbo nozzles 405 withthe reciprocating wand assemblies 400 of the second alternativeembodiment results in better coverage of the vehicle surfaces and moreeffective cleaning of the surfaces than the zero degree nozzles usedwith the rotating wands of the first embodiment. Furthermore, bysubstituting fast rotating turbo nozzles for the zero degree nozzles inthe rotating wands of the first embodiment, multiple impacts of thestream with the automobile surfaces results in improved cleaningperformance. The versatility of the fast rotating turbo nozzle is alsodemonstrated by the second alternative embodiment where the use ofreciprocating wands are eliminated, since turbo nozzles with spraypatterns that overlap at least partially can effectively clean theentire top surface of a vehicle when combined with the movement of thegantry over the vehicle. It is also noted that the series of turbonozzles located on either leg of the gantry effectively replace sidewand assemblies utilizing zero degree nozzles without a reduction incleaning effectiveness. Another advantage of turbo nozzles generally istheir ability to operate effectively at lower pressures than the typicalzero degree nozzle. Whereas, zero degree nozzles generally requirepressures of around 900 psi or greater, typical turbo nozzles canoperate at pressures as low as 600 psi.

Fast rotating turbo nozzles, in which the nozzle orifice rotates atspeeds of around 2600 to 3000 rpm, are commercially available in avariety of sizes from several vendors and have been utilized in variousapplications on vehicle wash systems. However, fast rotating turbonozzles suffer from a drawback that has limited their application incertain vehicle wash system applications, namely, they have a limitedeffective range of 28″ to 36 depending on the size of the fast rotatingnozzle specified. At distances in excess of the effective range, thespiraling fluid jet looses its integrity and becomes a mist, whichalthough increasing the coverage of the underlying surface, does notimpart enough of an impact force on the vehicle to effectively dislodgedirt and debris. It can be appreciated the total distance traveled byany portion of cleaning solution in a spiraling fluid jet as it spiralstowards a vehicle's surface is much greater than the distance betweenthe nozzle orifice and the surface to be cleaned. In other words, thelength of an uncoiled spiraling jet would be much greater than thedistance between the nozzle tip and the surface of the vehicle.

It follows, therefore, that the aerodynamic drag incident on a spiralingfluid jet from mist and air would be significantly greater than on acomparable straight fluid jet (such as from a zero degree nozzle). Thisaerodynamic drag tends to dissipate some of the spiraling jets energy.Furthermore, the complex force vectors acting on the spiraling fluid jetas it leaves the nozzle and travels towards the vehicle surfaces tendsto compromise the integrity of the spiraling jet contributing to itseffective disintegration at much shorter distances than a comparablestraight fluid jet.

Slow rotating turbo nozzles in accordance with the present invention andas their name would suggest rotate at greatly reduced rates in the rangeof 600-2600 rpm when compared to their fast rotating cousins. The fluidjets emanating from slow rotating nozzles spiral at a significantlyslower rate than their fast rotating cousins, making fewer turns beforereaching the surface of the vehicle. The drag on a fluid jet from a slowrotating turbo nozzle would be less than that of a jet from a fastrotating nozzle situated a similar distance from a vehicle surface. Thefluid jet of a slow rotating turbo nozzle would, therefore, encounterless aerodynamic energy dissipation than its fast rotating cousin.Accordingly, in accordance with the present invention it has beendiscovered that a slow rotating turbo nozzle has a greater effectiverange than fast rotating nozzles (similarly sized fast and slow rotatingturbo nozzles have approximate ranges of 28″-36″ and 36″-49″respectively) for delivering the same impact force to the surface of avehicle. Even at distances within the effective ranges of the fastrotating turbo nozzle, the slow rotating turbo nozzles delivers a fluidjet having a greater impact force per unit area than the comparable fastrotating turbo nozzle. By using slow rotating turbo nozzles in a vehiclewash system, all surfaces of the vehicle can be hit with jets ofcleaning solution at effective levels of impact force to dislodge mostdirt and debris, especially those on contoured surfaces of a vehiclethat might be outside of the range of fast rotating turbo nozzles.

FIGS. 34-40 and FIG. 42 illustrate a slow rotating turbo nozzle.Furthermore, FIG. 41 illustrates a cross section of a fast rotatingturbo nozzle for purposes of comparison. Unless otherwise indicated, thedescription provided herein generally applies to both fast and slowrotating turbo nozzles. Distinctions between the fast and slow turbonozzles will be specifically indicated.

As shown in FIG. 34, A typical turbo nozzle comprises three basiccomponents: the nozzle body 815; an inlet cap 820 that is threadablyreceived into the top of the body; and the rotating nozzle member 805that is contained within the body. The hollow interior or peripheralwall of the nozzle body 815 has a generally conical shape so as to be ofcircular transverse cross-section beginning with a threaded opening toreceive the inlet cap 820 at a distal end. From the distal end, thewalls of the body 815 taper until terminating at the proximal end in aceramic seat 825. The ceramic seat 825 has a concave inside surfaceconfigured to receive the orifice of the rotating nozzle member and apassage 830 therethrough to permit the fluid jet emanating from theorifice to exit the turbo nozzle typically at an angle of approximately12° from the longitudinal axis of the body 815.

The inlet cap 820 is a generally cylindrical member having a partiallythreaded outside surface for being received into the threaded opening ofthe nozzle body 815 with an o-ring seal 835 disposed thereon. The inletcap 820 further comprises a vertical bore 840 that is partially threadedfor coupling with a cleaning solution supply manifold or hose. The boreis closed at its bottom end; however, two jet passageways 845 extendthrough the vertical wall of the bore 840 at generally acute anglesrelative to the surface surrounding the hollow interior of the nozzlebody. The passageways communicate with the interior of the nozzle body815 as illustrated in FIG. 37. The angle that the passageways 845 extendrelative to the surface surrounding the hollow interior, the diameter ofthe passageways and the interaction between the fluid jets emanatingtherefrom during operation are all critical in determining therotational speed of the turbo nozzle as will be described below. Lastly,A small nib 850 extends from the center of the outside surface of theclosed bottom end of the inlet cap 820 for reasons that will becomeapparent.

The rotating nozzle member 805 is illustrated in isolation in FIGS. 35and 36. The rotating nozzle member 805 typically comprises a brass tube855 having a perforated support piece 860 spanning the interior of thetube proximate its distal end to provide support and additional strengththereto. The proximal end of the tube is capped with a ceramic orifice810 from which the spiraling jet of the turbo nozzle emanates. Theceramic orifice 810 has a generally conical shape that terminates in arounded end. The rounded end is sized to nest in the concave portion ofthe ceramic seat 825 such that when under pressure the ceramic orifice810 effectively seals the passage through the ceramic seat 825. Thediameter of the ceramic orifice 810 ultimately controls the volumetricoutput of the nozzle.

The outside surface of the brass tube 855 is covered by one or moreplastic shrouds 865, 870 and 875. In general, the plastic shrouds serveto protect the brass tube 855 as the nozzle member 805 is rotated withinthe nozzle body 815 at high speeds. Depending on the particularconfiguration of the turbo nozzle, a single unitary plastic shroud maybeutilized, although as illustrated, three separate and distinct shrouds865, 870 and 875 are indicated. The upper shroud 865 serves to guide thenozzle member 805 around the nib 850, as best illustrated in FIGS. 34and 38. The middle shroud 870, which is shown having a non-circularpolygonal preferably hexagonal outer surface, serves to guide the nozzlemember 805 along the inside surface of the nozzle body 815 as bestillustrated in FIG. 39. Because the middle shroud 870 is hexagonal, itwill cause the orifice 810 to rotate in a more hexagonal pattern,thereby slightly altering the characteristics of the fluid jet emanatingtherefrom. Furthermore, the hexagonal surface of the middle shroud 870will not rotate as easily around the inside surface of the nozzle body815, as would a round or circular surface which would be used on thefast rotating nozzle of FIG. 41, thereby increasing the rotationalfriction of the nozzle member 805, slowing its effective rate ofrotation even further. As illustrated in FIG. 40, the hexagonal shroud370 can be replaced with a circular shroud 870A of the type used in fastrotating nozzles to increase the speed of rotation, if desired.

The operation of a typical turbo jet will now be described. First, thecleaning solution enters the inlet cap 820 from a source under highpressure. The cleaning solution then travels through the one or morepassageways 845, wherein the cleaning solution is accelerated and ispropelled from the nozzles as a stream in a direction generallyperpendicular with the center axis of the turbo nozzle towards thecorresponding inner surface of the body 815. The stream impacts innersurface of the body 815 at an acute angle, which induces the cleaningsolution to rotate in a clockwise direction. A clockwise vortex ofcleaning fluid is created within the body 815 which is completely filledwith the pressurized cleaning solution during operation. By reversingthe angle of incidence between the stream and the wall of the body, acounterclockwise vortex could be created as well. The vortex causes thenozzle member 805, which is in its path, to rotate at essentially thesame velocity as the vortex. It is appreciated that the nib 850 preventsthe nozzle member 805 from positioning itself in the calm center of thevortex. Next, the pressurized cleaning fluid contained in the body isforced into the top end of nozzle tube 855 and through the orifice 810,wherein the cleaning solution is accelerated and exits the nozzle in theform of a spiraling fluid jet again typically at an angle ofapproximately 12° off the longitudinal axis of the body 815.

The speed of rotation of the nozzle and the speed of rotation of thefluid jet emanating therefrom is directly related to the rotationalvelocity of the vortex created within the nozzle body 815. It has beenfound that the velocity of the vortex is dependent on both the angle atwhich the fluid streams emanating from the inlet cap passageways 845 areincident on the inner surface of the body wall, as well as, the velocityof the streams. A horizontal cross section of a typical fast rotatingturbo nozzle showing a single passageway 845 through the bore 840 in theinlet cap 820 into the body of the nozzle is illustrated in FIG. 41. Acorresponding section of a slow rotating turbo nozzle in accordance withthe present invention is illustrated in FIG. 42, wherein fourpassageways 845 are shown. The four passageways 845 have a combinedcross sectional area greater than that of the single passageway 845 offast rotating turbo nozzle of FIG. 41. For a given pressure of fluidbeing passed through the passageways of both nozzles, therefore, thefluid stream emanating from the single passageway of the fast rotatingnozzle will be faster than the streams emanating from each of the fourpassageways of the slow rotating turbo nozzle. Accordingly, therotational speed of the vortex created in the slow rotator will be lessthan the speed of the vortex in the fast rotator, resulting in a slowerrotating nozzle member.

Other means of creating a slow rotating turbo nozzle are alsocontemplated. For instance, a set of one or more passageways 845 couldpass through the inlet cap 820 at one angle while a second set of one ormore passageways could pass through the inlet cap at a second angle,such that the streams emanating from the second set interfere with thevortex caused by the streams from the first set such that the speed ofthe vortex is reduced. For instance, streams from the first set ofpassageways 845 may induce a clockwise rotating vortex in the nozzlebody 815 having a speed approaching that of a vortex in a fast rotatingturbo nozzle. The streams from the second set of passageways may exitthe passageways at angles that would by themselves induce acounterclockwise rotation. The combination of these two sets of streamseffectively results in a vortex of a reduced speed. It is to beappreciated that a wide variety of combinations of sets of passagewayscan be utilized to tailor the speed of the vortex and consequently therotational speed of the turbo nozzle to a desired level. Thecross-sectional size of the passageway(s) can also be increased toreduce the rotational velocity of the nozzle member. As mentionedpreviously and in accordance with the present invention, this enables areduction in the rotational speed of the nozzle and consequently anincrease in the effective cleaning range of the nozzle.

In summarizing the above, it has been discovered that nozzles thatrotate at speeds slower than conventional nozzles which have beenreferred to herein as fast-rotating nozzles have a greater effectivecleaning range than do the fast rotating nozzles enabling a car washapparatus to have the nozzles positioned at a greater distance from thesurface of a vehicle and still obtain the same or better cleaningefficiency.

Various systems for slowing the rate of rotation of a conventionalfast-rotating nozzle have been described. As inferred above, nozzlebodies come in different sizes for handling different volumes ofcleaning fluids but for purposes of illustration and not limitation, thefollowing chart illustrates the advantages obtained with the presentinvention over fast-rotating nozzles by reference to a nozzle that emits4.5 gals./min. of fluid that was delivered to the nozzle at a pressureof 4000 psi: Middle Number of Nozzle 805 Preferred Effective ShroudPassageways Range of Operating Cleaning 870 Shape 845 Rotating SpeedRotating Speed Range round 2 2600-3000 2800 32″-36″ hexagonal 21400-2200 1800 38″-42″ hexagonal 4  600-1400 1000 46″-49″

Another type of nozzle used in embodiments of the present invention isan oscillating nozzle as shown in FIG. 43. The fluid jet emanating fromthe oscillating nozzle differs from the fluid jet of turbo nozzle inthat instead of spiraling in a circular pattern, it moves back and forthin a very flat ovular or substantially linear path as illustrated inFIG. 43. Oscillating nozzles with small nozzle bodies 915 arecommercially available, which oscillate at a relatively fast rate;whereas, slower oscillating nozzles having large bodies 915 are notcommercially available, although both designs operate in a similarmanner as described herein. The oscillating nozzle has an inlet cap 920and body 915 generally very similar to those on a turbo nozzle exceptthe ceramic seat 925 is not fixed to the body 915, rather it is fixed tothe lower portion 970B of a housing 970 contained within the body 915.The tube 955 to which the orifice 910 is affixed does not spin, nor doesit rotate about a nib (not shown) on the inlet cap 920. Rather, it ispermitted only to pivot from side to side within a slot 975 in the lowerportion 970B of the nozzle member housing 970. The lower portion 970B ofthe nozzle member housing 970 is fit into an opening in the base of thebody 915 such that it cannot spin but it can pivot slightly. An upperportion 970A of the housing portion is connected to the lower portion970B, thereby surrounding the nozzle tube. The attachment of the upperportion 970A with the lower portion 970B prevents it from spinning;however, it is free to rotate about the nib on the inlet cap 920 in afluid vortex created in the body 915. Rotation of the upper portion 970Aof the housing causes it to impact an o-ring 980 circumscribing thebrass tube 955 proximate its top end causing the orifice 910 to pivotback and forth in the slot 975.

In general, the effective range (approximately 45″) of the oscillatingnozzles is greater than that of relatively fast-rotating turbo nozzles;however, the range of faster small body oscillators is less than that ofa slower large body oscillator. It is to be appreciated that the speedof oscillation is directly related to the velocity of the vortex createdin the nozzle body and the distance that the vortex must travel tocomplete a revolution of the inside of the body 915. It follows that thespeed of oscillation may be reduced by (1) increasing the size of thenozzle body whereby the vortex has a greater distance to travel tocomplete a revolution, or (2) using the same types of modifications tothe inlet cap passageways 945 as described above for turbo nozzles toslow the velocity of the stream emanating from passageways 945.

Although the present invention has been described with a certain degreeof particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure has beenmade by way of example, and changes in detail or structure may be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in theappended claims.

1. A nozzle for use in a vehicle wash system comprising: a nozzle bodyhaving a hollow interior with a peripheral wall; a connector attached tothe nozzle body for fluidly coupling to a source of fluid underpressure; one or more fluid passageways extending from the connectorinto the hollow interior, the one or more fluid passageways forming anacute angle with said peripheral wall so as to induce a fluid vortexwithin said nozzle body, and when there is more than one passageway atleast some of said passageways form a different acute angle than others;and a nozzle member including a nozzle orifice through which fluids areemitted from said nozzle, the nozzle member being substantiallycontained within the hollow interior for rotation substantially inunison with the fluid vortex during operation.
 2. The nozzle of claim 1,wherein said hollow interior has a peripheral wall of circulartransverse cross-section; and wherein said nozzle member is non-circularin transverse cross-section.
 3. The nozzle of claim 2 wherein saidnozzle member is polygonal in transverse cross-section.